26/07/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | JULY 26, 2025

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Horner exit no impact moving forward Verstappen says former Red Bull team principal dismissal will not influence own F1 future F ORMULA ONE champion Max Verstappen said Christian Horner’s sacking as Red Bull boss would make no difference to decisions about his own future and the team still felt like a second family. “I’m equally also excited for the team now moving forward because that’s what we have to do. Looking back doesn’t make sense. It’s not going to make you faster. His father and former racer Jos fell out with Horner last year, with Verstappen senior urging the Briton to go. The champion said people were entitled to disagree and he had spoken recently to Horner.

release clauses, and has said he hoped to see out his career at Red Bull. Asked whether he had been surprised by Horner’s exit, he replied: “I think in this world, things like that, they can happen. And when they told me I was like ‘OK.’ “I don’t need to go into detail what they said, but I said ‘OK, if you guys think that this is the way forward, I’m the driver. “You decide and this is how we’re going to do it.” Verstappen said first impressions of new boss Laurent Mekies were good. “I like Laurent. He’s a very nice guy, first of all, very clever guy,” he said. “He’s been in different areas of the F1 paddock as well. And I think that can be helpful.” – Reuters

“At the same time, we do appreciate of course those 20 years and especially from my side, the 10, 11 that I’ve been part of Red Bull. Those things will always be remembered. “The relationship between myself and Christian, for example, that doesn’t change. Of course, he’s not here now during a race weekend but it’s still like a second family to me.” Verstappen has won all his titles at Red Bull, starting in 2021, but his chances of a fifth in a row are receding fast as McLaren dominate. The 27-year-old said Red Bull’s owners had every right to run the team as they saw fit.

“The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it, really… the last one and a half years have not been what we want to be,” he added. Asked if there was still a possibility he might not drive for Red Bull next year, he smiled: “There is also a possibility I don’t wake up tomorrow. “So then there is no driving at all. “Life is unpredictable. But in general, I’m very happy where I’m at.” Verstappen has a contract to 2028, with

Horner’s dismissal this month ended a 20 year tenure and fuelled speculation about Verstappen, with Mercedes already interested in securing the four-times world champion. “Management decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction probably,” the Dutch driver, relaxed and smiling, told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix yesterday. “Everyone else of course has to anyway agree to that and look forward. And I am looking forward.

‘It’s crunch time’: Hamilton plots Ferrari title

O’Connor climbs to ‘brutal’ Alpine stage win

LEWIS HAMILTON revealed yesterday he had prepared his own reports to present to Ferrari’s senior manage ment during a series of recent meetings in a bid to power the team to a first world title since 2008. The seven-time world champion told a news confer ence ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix that he was not prepared to accept the fate of other multiple world champions like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. “If you look at the team over the last 20 years, they’ve had amazing drivers like Kimi (Raikkonen), Fernando and Sebastian, all world champions, but they (Alonso and Vettel) didn’t win a world championship with Ferrari – and I refuse for that to be the case with me,” he said. “So I am going the extra mile and I’ve been fortunate to have experiences in two other great teams – and whilst things will be different because of the culture, if you take the same path, you will get the same results.” Hamilton added: “I am trying to create allies in the organisation and get them geed up. I am here to win, and this is crunch time for me. “I truly believe in the potential of the team. I really believe they can win multiple world championships moving forward. They already have an amazing legacy, but... during my time, that is my sole goal.” Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes and went on to win six more drivers’ championships before joining Ferrari this year. He and teammate Charles Leclerc have struggled and are without a win, while Hamilton is without a podium success at the halfway stage of the 24-race campaign. Hamilton revealed these results pushed him to hold meetings with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, Chief Executive Officer Benedetto Vigna and team boss Fred Vasseur, having prepared his own detailed documents. – AFP

BEN O’CONNOR won stage 18 of the Tour de France with a world-class climb over three Alpine mountains yesterday as defending champion Tadej Pogacar tightened his grip on the yellow jersey.

Tour de France stage modified THE 19th stage of the Tour de France has been shortened due to the discovery of a contagious disease in a herd of cattle located along the original route between Albertville and La Plagne, race organisers said yesterday. “The discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies has necessitated the culling of the animals,” said organisers in a statement about Friday’s stage. “In light of the distress experienced by the affected farmers and in order to preserve the smooth running of the race, it has been decided, in agreement with the relevant authorities, to modify the route of Stage 19 (Albertville-La Plagne) and to avoid the ascent to the Col des Saisies.” This considerably changes the profile of the stage, which will now be just 95km long instead of the planned 129.9km. German breakout star Florian Lipowitz wilted near the end in his bid for both third place and the white jersey awarded to the best young rider. The 22-year-old British rider Oscar Onley closed to within 22 seconds. Both riders are making their Tour de France debut. The race ends tomorrow in Paris with the finizsh line at the Champs Elysees after three climbs to the Sacre Coeur Basilica along the cobbled lanes of Montmartre. – AFP another 11sec on the Team Visma rider who won the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France. O’Connor, from the Jayco-Alula team, said he was relieved to triumph again four years after his success in the Alps at Tignes. “Putting your hands in the air is an extraordinary thing. It was about time for me being an Aussie rider in an Aussie team,”said a beaming O’Connor, who joined Jayco in January. “I had to go from the bottom of the valley before the last climb. It was the only way to beat them. Pogacar said O’Connor had put in a great ride. “Congrats to Ben. How he rode today, that’s his victory.” Team UAE’s Pogacar is now on the cusp of a fourth Tour de France title, after reversing the roles and sitting on Vingegaard’s wheel, wasting little energy. He remained vigilant however.

Australian O’Connor, 29, took off alone 15km from the finish and navigated the mountain mist to win 1min 45sec ahead of Pogacar atop the Col de la Loze. Vingegaard crossed the line in third place, nine seconds behind the Slovenian. “It was brutal, I’ve never lived anything so hard. The team did well and we had a good plan, but I couldn’t take any time off Tadej,” said Vingegaard. Pogacar now holds a 4min

26sec lead over the Dane in the general classification with three days to go before the finish in Paris. Starting the day with a deficit of 4min 15sec, Vingegaard had attacked a massive 71km out. “Our tactics fell apart when

Ben O’Connor. – REUTERSPIC

they attacked so soon,” said Pogacar explaining he simply tracked his rival on instinct. Pogacar eventually dropped the Dane near the finish line to gain

SHORTS

breakthrough maiden career F1 victory in Miami. The second injury came at Silverstone this month while he was celebrating a first home win in front of fans at the British Grand Prix and a mesh fence partially collapsed and a photographer fell on him. “It’s healing nicely now,” Norris, laughing, told reporters when asked at the Belgian Grand Prix about the latest facial injury. “I got a more professional repair on this one. “But both are great memories of mine. “So if I ever want to look in the mirror and think of something great, I just look at my nose.” ‘I wish him all the best’ LEWIS HAMILTON paid a

measured tribute to old foe Christian Horner yesterday as Formula One prepared for its first race in 20 years without the now-dismissed Red Bull team boss. Hamilton told reporters ahead of the weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – his 369th race and first without Horner being around – that while the Briton’s departure would not change anything in his life, it had been incredible to witness Red Bull’s progress. He recalled sitting in Horner’s office while still competing in Formula Three and looking into his future options in F2 and beyond. “I wouldn’t say we hit it off from the get-go,” said the 40-year-old. “To see his progression and his career, I think it was clearly remarkable what he did with the team. With a huge group of amazing people. “To really run an organisation that big and that well takes talent and skill. That’s what he brought to the team. I wish him all the best.”

Scarred Norris has a nose for success FORMULA ONE title contender Lando Norris (pic) is scarred by success. He also has a nose for it. The McLaren driver now sports two scars on his nose, each a memento of a career milestone, and the Briton is not altogether unhappy about it. The first cut was acquired in Amsterdam last year on a broken glass while on a party weekend, days before he took his